No. 30 Autumn Rhythm by Jackson Pollock

Autumn Rhythm continues the drip painting technique, from the artist who made this method so famous

Number 30, it's original title, was intended to avoid influencing the viewer when first coming across this busy painting.

Pollock eventually decided to rename it as Autumn Rhythm, which is how we continue to refer to it today.

Whilst you will naturally find clear similarities with other drip paintings like Convergence, Blue Poles, Lucifer or Number 18, this particular work was directly onto an unpainted canvas.

The use of an unprimed canvas meant that browns, blacks and whites formed the simpler colour balance found in this painting.

As with many Pollock paintings, the sheer size of Autumn Rhythm can give the viewer a feeling of being completely overwhelmed and absorbed into it. It is beyond a small rectangle on a wall, becoming a stretched canvases which fills your environment.

The production methods used by Pollock to create the Autumn Rhythm artwork was spontaneous, but not without control. This contrast was important to the artist and fundamental to the style of art of which he was so passionate.

Each Pollock drip painting was a recording of time, displaying those moments of activity as he attacked each canvas. There was no way of reproducing of copying an artwork - it is what it is, and will always remain that way.

An additional aspect to this style of painting is that equal prominence was placed across the whole artwork. When considering a Monet landscape or a Picasso portrait, there will be a clear focal point where the most detail will generally be found. Pollock spread his work evenly across each canvas, conserving interest and intrigue from corner to corner.

In October 1950, in creating Autumn Rhythm, artist Pollock used his versatility as an artist to produce all manner of swirls and drips to cover his canvas. The terms given to his style, such as drip painting, would never get across the true mixture of techniques that he would use in order to complete this technique.

Abstract and non-representational, the title theme can be found through careful inspection. The painting captures the rhythm of nature, whilst his selection of colours link directly to the autumnal theme.

Jackson Pollock felt that even in non-representational work an artist would still produce identifiable forms, which were just part of his deeper conscious. It was something to be embraced and also would indicate more about the artist himself.

Whilst considered one of the most significant contributions from Pollock towards his drip technique, there has been considerable clamour from art galleries and museums to include the artwork within their exhibitions.

The likes of MoMA in New York as well as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston are amongst the notable hosts of this famous painting since its inception in 1950.